Vacant residence being renovated to become a veterans home

Thanks to a $5,000 grant awarded to the North Louisiana Community Enhancement Corporation from Home Depot in August, an empty residence on the West end of town is currently being turned into apartments that will house veterans.
The vacant home, which was originally owned by Gladys and Willie Montgomery, was willed to their son, Rev. Payne Montgomery, along with two other homes beside it. Last year, Montgomery renovated two of the homes for the purpose of tutoring and counseling classes with the NLCEC program.
Montgomery said the purpose of the grant was to pay for “equipment and supplies for new apartments for veterans.”
“We are responsible for the cost of the renovations, including labor,” he said. “Everyone who is helping to build these apartments are volunteers.”
Renovations began during the last of September. Because those who are constructing it are volunteers, Montgomery said they're not always available and the renovations are a “slow process, but they're getting done.”
Among those volunteering are Mike Sutton and trustees with the Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office who help on Saturdays.
Montgomery said another man who is donating his Saturdays to the project is Robert Roach. A maintenance supervisor at Grambling State University, Roach makes the trip from Ruston every week.
“He has no ties to Bastrop,” Montgomery said. “He simply heard about what we were doing and was very impressed. Being a Vietnam vet, he wanted to do what he could to make this happen.”
Montgomery expects the apartments to be completed in January, “depending on the volunteers.”
Once completed, prospected tenants will be go through a screening process with the help of the American Legion.
“We're not sure if we're going to build one apartment or two,” Montgomery said. “I do know that once this one is completed, it will make a nice home for a veteran living alone, or with a spouse.”